Candy Store Competition . . .

One of my favorite sweets to make over the holidays is almond bark. Judging from the prices in the store, it would never be in my budget . . . unless I made it myself! Cruise down the baking aisle of Walmart or most grocery stores and you should find large packages of either white or chocolate melting coating. It is usually in the form of a large square and about one or two pounds.  This is the main ingredient for turning out a great dish of candy for a special event. Anyway, this is one of those estimate recipes so exact amounts are difficult to gauge for each kitchen. I will give the basics and depending on what type of melting coating/chocolate you find, you can ajust it to fit your needs. My favorite is the above-mentioned Almond Bark. I toast about a cup and a half of whole almonds still with the brown skin on them. Toasting is simply. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and put into a 350-degree oven for about 10-15 minutes or until you start to smell the almonds. You want them to be on the verge of almost too much toasting but not burned. A quick nibble will tell you if it has reached the taste that appeals to you. Remove them from the oven and cool down. While the almonds are cooling, melt the block of white 'chocolate' (It isn't really chocolate.) according to directions. Be careful to not scorch it or let any water near it or it will seize up into a nasty mess. Okay, you now have a wonderful pot of melted white 'chocolate' - stir in the almonds and quickly spread onto a buttered sheet of foil. Spread it out sort of one-almond deep. Let set for 30-40 minutes or hurry up the process in the refrigerator. Break up into serving pieces. If you found the white chocolate stuff, you noticed they also have it in a brown chocolate version. You can go through the same melting routine with that but stir in crushed hard mint candies. The chocolate version is also good with 1/2 cup pecans and 1/2 cup raisins. This faux chocolate coating/melting ingredient is a time saver and can really enhance your parties, or treats for your children, friends, etc. Just don't tell anyone how easy it was to make!